Street-sweeping machine.



B. KERN.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLiCATlON mm mm 19, 1914. RENEWED MAY 5,1918.

1 'ggg ggg Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

B. KERN.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINEa APPLICATION FILED NOV 19, 193":- REVEWU) WAY 51198. L2@&@299 Paien'isei'i. Dec. 1?, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

gvwewlfo'ct 2X) Lime-was I BERNARD KERN, 0F SANDUSKY, OHIO.

STREET-SWEEPIN G MACHINE.

Application filed November 19, 1914, Serial No. 873,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD KERN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines,

of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in street sweepers and the like, and more particularly to that type of sweeping machlnes, involving the use of a rotary sweeper brush and pneumatic collecting and conveylng means, associated therewith.

The present improvements deal especially with adjusting mechanism for maintaining a proper operative relation between the brush and air nozzle so that at all times the refuse loosened from the surface of the street by the brush may be thrown into the range of action of the volume of alr passlng into the mouth of the nozzle and through a suitable conduit associated therewith to the desired point of deposit.

As will be appreciated, brushes used in the connection outlined are subject to severe usage and by reason of the wearing away of the fiber and consequent reduction in diameter of the brush, the normal relation of the brush and mouth piece is correspondingly changed. It is to allow for this wearing away, while at all times affording means to maintain a substantially constant relation between the mouth-piece and broom, that I have provided connecting and adjusting devices between the mouth-piece and broom enabling the drawing of the mouth-piece toward the broom and simultaneously raising the same relative to the ground when adjustment is required.

The foregoing salient characteristic of the present improvements will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter contained, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings fotrming part hereof and wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it being observed that many other details in the construction and arrangement of parts also appear from the disclosure referred to.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a street sweeping machine sufiicient to illustrate the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918. Renewed May 6, 1918. Serial No. 232,941.

adjusting means between and brush parts;

Fig. 3 is a means; and

Fig. 4 is detail sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Referrin more specificallyto the drawlngs whereln like reference letters designate corresponding parts in the several views, A represents a cylindrical rotatable broom or brush mounted upon an axle B supported in suitable bearings C, at the opposite ends thereof from supporting arms D, which are in turn pivoted at E to the legs depending from the frame of the machine, the broom being driven in any desirable manner, and the supporting arms D having a swivel connection F permitting the broom to adjust itself vertically relative to the supporting surface.

G is the mouth-piece of a conduit H, the mouth-piece being flattened and elongated for substantially the length of the broom the mouth piece plan view of the adjusting with immediately associated and having its opening disposed adjacent to the broom in front of the same so that as the material is thrown forwardly by the operation of the broom the same will be caught by the volume of air entering the mouthpiece and conducted through the conduit H by means of the fan I adapted also to force the refuse laden air through a conduit J to any suitable point of deposit for further treatment, as conditions may demand.

The conduit H is connected through the medium of links K to the frame L of the machine, the links being pivoted as at is to said frame and at their opposite ends are pivoted as at k to the pivot ears h by pins It on the opposite sides of the conduit, said conduit having a flexible union M permitting the vertical and rocking adjustment of the mouth-piece, while being maintained in a proper relation to the other parts of the mechanism by the links K cooperating with the means now to be defined.

Having an adjustable threaded connection with the brackets N fastened in suitable manner to the opposite ends of the mouthpiece G, is an adjusting bolt 0, acting as a spacer for the purpose of adjusting the mouth-piece toward and from the broom.

The rear or headed end of the bolt, just referred to, has a pair of ears P bridged by a pivot pin Q, on which is pivoted, as at 1", an

adjustable rod R, arranged in a manner (as shown) to move through an inclined plane, generally rearwardly and upwardly with reference to the supporting arm D, when actuated as will presently appear, it being understood that an adjusting mechanism such as being now described, is located, one at each side of the machine.

The upper endof the rod R passes freely through an open 8 in the forward end of a forwardly and upwardlyextended bracket S secured (integrally or otherwise) to the bearing C and held in a permanent position thereby. The upper protruding end of the rod,the end of the rod for a considerable extent being threaded,is engaged by a nut 1 bearing upon the upper face of the bracket, and operates to draw up the bolt as desired, thereby correspondingly elevating and shiftin rearwardly toward the broom A the uncut -piece G. A lock-nut U also engages the threaded portion of the rod in opposition to the under face of the bracket S to effect a clamping of the parts together and maintain the same in adj usted position.

In the foregoing manner by a simple manipulation of the actuating means, the mouth-piece G is adjusted relative to the broom A, by which means the predetermined operative association of the broom and mouth-piece n'iay be readily maintained at all times, notwithstanding the wearing down, with consequent reduction of diameter. of the broom.

W represents a suitable counter-balancing means associated with the broom and mouthpiece facilitating the rise and fall of the said broom and mouthpiece together when passing over irregular ground surfaces.

Now while I have herein disclosed one special embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the same is capable of embodiment in other forms and devices, as may be comprehended by the hereto appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a street sweeping machine including a frame, the combination with a broom, of

a pneumatic collector having a mouthpiece operatively associated with said broom,

I means for adjusting the mouth-piece toward the broom, and a pivotal connection between the mouth-piece and a fixed part of the frame, substantially as described.

2. In a street sweeping machine including a frame, a combination with a broom, of a pneumatic collector having a mouth-piece operatively' associatedwith said broom, in-

strumentalities for adjusting the mouth-- piece toward the broom, and a pivotal link connection between the mouth-piece and a fixed part of the frame, substantially as described.

3. in a street sweeping machine, the combination with a broom, of a pneumatic coleas es inclined support connected to the mouthpiece, and actuating means engaging the support to force the same in one direction, substantially as described.

5. In a street sweeping machine, the combination with a'broom,'of a pneumatic collector'having a mouth-piece operatively associated with said broom, instrumentalities for adjusting the position of the mouthpiece toward the broom, said means including an adjustable connection at the mouthpiece, a rod movably associated therewith, and means for adjusting the rod to force the mouth-piece toward the broom, substantially as described.

6. in a street sweeping machine, the com: bination with a broom and its support, of a pneumatic collector having a mouth-piece operatively associated with said broom, means for adjusting the position of the mouth-piece toward the broom, said means including a rod connected to the mouth piece, a bracket on the broom support, and means associated with the rod and bracket for adjusting the rodv to force the mouthpiece toward the broom, substantiallyas described.

7. In a street sweeping machine, the combination with a broom, of a pneumatic collector having a mouth-piece operatively associated with said broom, means for freely supporting the mouth-piece and broom whereby they may automatically rise and fall in keeping with irregular surfaces of the ground, and a pivotal connection between the mouth-piece and a fixed part of the frame, substantially as'described.

8. In a street sweeping machine, the combination with a broom, of a pneumatic collector having a mouth-piece operatively associated with said broom, means for freely supporting the mouth-piece and broom whereby they may automatically rise and fall in keeping with irregular surfaces of the ground, instrumentalities for adjusting the mouthpiece toward the broom, and a pivotal link connection between the mouthpiece and a fixed part of the frame, substantially as described.

9. In a street sweeping machine, the combination with a broom, of a pneumatic collector having a mouthpiece operatively associated with said broom, means for relatively adjusting the mouthpiece and broom,

lector having a mouthpiece operatively associated with said broom, means for relatively adjusting the mouthpiece and broom, j

and a pivotal link connection between the mouthpiece and a fixed part of the frame, 10

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix mv signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD KERN.

Witnesses:

A. J. HENDRIGKSON, EMMn'r'r MARTIN. 

